True
Nervous
very nervous

Madman

Why will you say that I am mad
The disease has sharpened my senses
not destroyed
not dulled them

Madman

The eye of a vulture
a pale blue eye
with a film overit

Listen
observe how healthily
and how calmly I tell this story

He had no passion for the old man
He was never insulted

He loved him

It was the eye the eye the eye

I made up my mind
To take his life forever

Passionless

The eye of a vulture

You should have seen me

How wisely I proceeded

To rid himself of the eye forever

With what dissimulation I went to work

Caution

I turned the latch on his door
and opened it

To work

To practice

I opened his door
and put in a dark lantern

Dark

Slowly I put my head in
Slowly I thrust it until in time Ientered
I was in so far

He was in so far
he could see the old man sleep

And then I undid the lantern so a thin ray
fell upon the eye

The vulture eye

He did this for seven days

Seven days

But always the eye was closed
and so I could not do the work

And in the day he would greet the old man
calmly in his chamber

Calmly

Nothing is wrong and all is well

Knock, knock
who's there

Came night eight

Night eight

I was slower than a watch minute hand
The power that I had with the old man
not to even dream my secret thoughts

Secret thoughts

My sagacity
I could barely conceal my fee